One Big Family Heads to Sleepaway Camp in Catskills Mountains

One Queens family attended Family Camp at Frost Valley's YMCA in the Catskill Mountains. They discovered new activities and interests. Here's what mom Nancy Johnson-Horn thought about their experience.

Remember those golden days of summer camp when you could go boating on the lake, take a relaxing hike, or just chill in the arts and crafts room? This year, my husband and I, our three children (ages almost 7, 4 1/2, and 2), and my in-laws were fortunate enough to spend the week at Family Camp at Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskill Mountains of New York, held once a year during the last week of August.

My two older kids had been at a local camp all summer, but this time we would get to join them in activities. Growing up, I spent many summers at camp where I enjoyed water activities, like swimming and boating. I loved being on the lake and in the lake. As parents, my husband and I were ready to throw off our adult responsibilities and just hang out with our kids. I didn’t mind that I wouldn’t have to cook for the week (or clean). We were excited to go boating and sing around the campfire with our children.

Freedom to Explore

Living in the city, I watch my kids very closely, but we were comfortable giving them a little more freedom at Family Camp, especially during meals. While we didn't let the 2-year-old go off on his own, we let the older kids run around and venture through the dining hall while we finished our meals—something we would never do at home in the city!

Unlike regular summer camp, participation in all activities is voluntary. Boating and archery quickly became faves, with all of us taking turns (someone had to watch the 2-year-old!). My oldest son, in-laws, and husband really liked hiking, while my daughter and I preferred the arts and crafts room. Though they didn't get very high up, my two older kids tried rock climbing for the first time and had fun. Needless to say, my husband had more success with it (and almost got up to the top).

My 4½-year-old and almost 7-year-old were able to do all the activities offered at Frost Valley, but my 2-year-old was not. For example, the available life jackets to go boating were for kids 30 pounds and up, so if you have a child under that (my 2-year-old is 25 lbs), bring your own. Since he’s young, he didn’t know he was missing out and had plenty to keep him occupied like running around on the grounds, chasing geese, and watching horses—there are 78 horses for riding at Frost Valley!

Nancy’s oldest child, 7 years old, rock climbed at Family Camp.
At home in Queens, he is usually one to complain of boredom, says Nancy.
But she didn’t hear that even once while at Frost Valley.

Five Nights, Six Days and a Lot of Activities

What’s great about Family Camp at Frost Valley is that you can do as little or as much as you want. Here is a snapshot of our routine:

Early Morning:  As Frost Valley is a YMCA Camp, which has mentions of Christian-Judeo and is non-denominational, they sing “Grace” at every meal. We're Jewish (as were some of the other campers we met), but it was absolutely fine and we never felt awkward. We made friends with families who have been coming to Frost Valley for 20 years. We prepared for the day and filled a backpack with things we'd need until after lunch. At breakfast (served 8am-9am), each family is assigned a table. We drove from our lodge Kresge (it was too far to walk from our lodge), and since we have a 2-year-old, we always had a stroller with us. Frost Valley provided us with a new booster seat with a tray. Everyone serves themselves and then cleans up after the meal. Frost Valley composts and uses eco-friendly napkins (that can be composted). 

Morning: After breakfast, you decide what you want to do, selecting activities from the packed schedule like three days of early morning hikes, two activity periods in the morning, and two more activity periods after lunch. 

If you prefer to have some time with your spouse or family members, kids older than 4 can be dropped off with counselors for a couple of hours (this also happens after lunch). This is free and you sign up when you drop them off. My daughter loved being with the other kids, my oldest son wasn't as into it, so he stayed with us.

Lunch, 12-1pm: The food was delicious for dining hall food! As someone who has spent a lot of years at sleepaway camp, I was astonished at how tasty the food was at Frost Valley. There was something for everyone at every meal, and the kitchen used vegetables grown on Frost Valley YMCA's Organic Farm. Two salad bars were offered at every meal; a regular and a dairy-free version.